Microsoft announced the launch of a new feature in Office applications, which it called “Agent Mode,” as part of the Microsoft 365 Copilot package. This feature aims to transform artificial intelligence from a mere interactive assistant into a tool capable of performing tasks directly within documents.
This new feature works in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, and is available to Microsoft 365 Copilot and Microsoft 365 Premium subscribers, as well as personal and family plan subscribers.
Previously, the Copilot Assistant’s role was limited to answering questions and making suggestions, without the ability to make direct changes. The company acknowledged that previous models were not sophisticated enough to control applications directly.
However, with recent developments in artificial intelligence models, especially in understanding instructions and executing complex tasks that require multiple steps, the company decided to develop “Agent Mode”, which allows complex modifications to be carried out while maintaining the user’s vision.
“Agent Mode” provides a sidebar that displays execution steps in real-time, increasing transparency and giving the user complete control. In Word, the assistant writes, reformulates, and restructures text while adjusting the style. In Excel, the assistant makes direct edits within tables, adds equations, tables, and graphs, and draws valuable conclusions from the data.
In PowerPoint, the assistant updates presentations with new content while adhering to the design of corporate templates.
Preliminary data collected by Microsoft indicates that interaction within Excel increased by about 67%, with user satisfaction increasing by 65%, and the retention rate of new users increasing by about 50%, after the introduction of these new features. The company plans to expand editing capabilities for complex tasks.
This step comes within a broader series of updates to the Microsoft Copilot Assistant, which included providing more advanced search tools and organizing the presence of the Assistant within the Windows 11 system, with the aim of enhancing its role as an advanced productivity tool. (aitnews)
